The present invention relates to an automatic developing apparatus, and in more detail, to water supply and replenishment processing in the automatic developing apparatus in which photosensitive material is developing processed by a processing solution in processing tanks.
Conventionally, an automatic developing apparatus, by which a series of development processing such as color development, bleaching, fixing, washing, etc., in silver halide photographic photosensitive material is automatically carried out, is widely known.
In such an automatic development processing apparatus, photosensitive material such as film and paper is successively fed into processing tanks in which each processing solution is stored, and development processing is carried out. However, each processing solution becomes weakened while processing the photosensitive material and the processing ability of the processing solution is decreased. Further, also as the processing procedure advances and processing solution from the previous process is fed, the processing ability is decreased.
Accordingly, a replenisher including processing agents is periodically replenished corresponding to the processed area of the photosensitive material.
Further, an apparatus by which solid processing agents are replenished, (here, solid means tablet type processing agents in which powders or granules of the processing components are compression-molded into a predetermined shape, the sectional shape of which is a circular), is disclosed in the official gazette of W092/20013.
When the processing amount of the photosensitive material is small and the time between processing is long, sometimes the liquid level of the processing tank is lowered and the processing solution becomes more concentrated. In this case, not the replenisher but the supply of water (which is called water supply, hereinafter) is necessary. Conventionally, water supply is manually carried out by users according to a previously designated amount. Because the above-described evaporation amount is changed due to the effects of temperature or humidity in the environment of the apparatus, in which the automatic developing apparatus is used, or processed amounts or processing temperature of the photosensitive materials, a problem exists in that it is difficult to accurately carry out the appropriate water supply.
On the other hand, in the automatic developing apparatus structured in such a manner that solid processing agents are replenished, water supply to maintain the concentration of processing solutions corresponding to the replenishment of these processing agents is necessary separately from the above-described water supply for the evaporation. Therefore, water supply tanks, in which water for water supply is stored, are provided in the apparatus, and water supply is carried out from these water supply tanks to each processing tank by pumps. Further, when the automation of the water supply for the evaporation is realized, the above-described water supply tanks are necessary.
Here, it is necessary that processing solutions in the processing tanks are adjusted to a predetermined temperature so that the appropriate processing temperature can be maintained. This is done by a combination of detection of the temperature of the processing solutions by temperature sensors, and control of supplying power to heaters based on the temperature detection.
However, when the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the apparatus is low, the difference between the water temperature in the water supply tanks and that of the processing solutions in each processing tank becomes large. Accordingly, there are possibilities of the following problems, in which: when low temperature water is mixed into the processing solutions in the case of the water supply from the water supply tanks, the temperature of the processing solutions is lowered, and is lower than the allowable temperature range in which developing processing can be carried out; or when solid processing agents are used, a longer period of time is necessary for the dissolution of the solid processing agents when the temperature of the processing solutions is lowered.
The replenishing operations of the processing agents or replenishing solutions are carried out at intervals based on the accumulation value of the number of processed amounts of the photosensitive materials or processed area. However, when the processed amounts per unit of time is small, there is a problem in which the number of times of replenishment is decreased, and deterioration of the processing solutions is a major concern.
Further, when the water supply operation is carried out in accompany with the replenishment of the solid processing agents, a relatively long period of time is necessary for dissolution of the processing agents. Accordingly, when an amount of the water supply corresponding to the replenishment of the processing agents is supplied in timed relationship with the replenishment of the processing agents, a surplus water supply is carried out before the processing agents are dissolved. Therefore, there is a potential problem in which variations of the concentration of the processing solutions at the time of replenishment become large.
When, for example, the washing tank is structured by a plurality of tanks, and further, when there is a processing tank (for example, the fixing tank), in which the same kind of water as that in the plural washing tanks can be used, the followings are required: these plural processing tanks should not be individually provided with pumps; the replenishing operations should not be realized by complicated piping; water supply can be supplied to each processing tank by a fairly simple structure; and a large amount of overflow of the water by an ineffective water supply should be extremely prevented.
Further, when the replenishing solution tank or water supply tank is empty, or no solid processing agent is available, the processing solution concentration or processing ability can not be maintained so that processing should be stopped. However,when the apparatus is structured in such a manner that processing is stopped immediately, the operability is not acceptable, and maintenance operation is complicated, which are disadvantageous.
When the developing processing is continued within the range in which processing can be smoothly carried out even after no water supply and replenishment have been carried out, the following problem occurs. In the case where processing agents are set in the apparatus, and replenishment and water supply are started again, when ordinary replenishment and water supply are carried out, then, the shortage of replenishment and water supply amounts, which is required when developing processing is continuously carried out under the condition that replenishment and water supply can not be carried out, is not supplied. Accordingly, the concentration of the processing solution can not be satisfactorily maintained, which is a problem.
Further, when solid processing agents are used in the apparatus, characteristics such as dissolving time, or the like, change depending on the kinds of processing agents. Accordingly, when conditions of water supply, replenishment, and processing temperature are fixed, sometimes, the processing conditions are not optimum with respect to the processing agents actually used. Further, in the case where a plurality of processing agents are accommodated in a cartridge, and the processing agents are periodically replenished from the cartridge, when the replenishing time intervals are rather long, or the apparatus stops for a fairly long period of time, processing agents accommodated in the cartridge deteriorate due to temperature or humidity conditions, and therefore there is a possibility in which process conditions of water supply, replenishment, and processing temperature deviate from the optimum value of the processing agents.